Countdown of the 100 Names You Need to Know: Nos. 41-60

USA TODAY is counting down the 100 Names You Need to Know for this upcoming season.

This is our yearly look at young players primed to make an impact during the upcoming big-league season. They aren't necessarily baseball's best prospects but rather the ones most likely to make a mark in 2012.

To qualify for our list, a player must have had more innings (for pitchers) or at-bats (for hitters) in the minor leagues in 2011 than he has had during all of his major league time. Players are ranked in order of their anticipated impact this season.

41. RHP Arodys Vizcaino, Braves, 21: He could have been the other A-Rod with the Yankees -- until he was the key part of a trade for Javier Vazquez. He's been a hard-throwing starter in the minors but Atlanta's overload of rotation candidates could bump him to the bullpen. He's never pitched more than last year's 114 innings and had elbow problems in 2010, more reason to reduce his workload. His aggressive approach could turn him into closer someday, anyway.

42. 2B Steve Lombardozzi, Nationals, 23: The prototypical scrappy infielder with good contact skills at the plate. But he doesn't have an obvious opening in the lineup. Son of the former major leaguer with the same name, Lombardozzi is ready to make the team as a utility player and his ability to play all the infield positions gives Washington options should a trade or performance break up the Ian Desmond-Danny Espinosa middle-infield combination.

43. OF Collin Cowgill, Athletics, 25: Oakland GM Billy Beane focused on collecting pitchers with his offseason deals but Cowgill comes from Arizona with a chance to grab a starting corner outfield role. He's the best speed guy in a group that includes Seth Smith, Josh Reddick, Jonny Gomes and Michael Taylor (No. 100). Cowgill's ability to back up center fielder Coco Crisp also enhances his shot at making the team.

44. 1B Yonder Alonso, Padres, 24: Blocked in Cincinnati by Joey Votto, his route to a full-time major league job is clearer in San Diego. Veteran Jesus Guzman will have the edge to begin the season but in this organization Alonso won't have to be miscast as an outfielder just to get his bat into the lineup. If he and Guzman platoon, lefty Alonso would get the bulk of the at-bats. His home run numbers will be depressed in San Diego's big park and, though he has gap power, he's far from a speed guy.

45. RHP Kyle Weiland, Astros, 25: Getting traded out of the Red Sox organization this winter puts Weiland on this list. Expecting the rebuilding Astros to trade Brett Myers or Wandy Rodriguez -- or even both -- gets him into the top half. A closer at Notre Dame, Weiland will compete for a Houston rotation spot this spring. He has a solid but not overpowering fastball-curve-changeup repertoire but should get his chance to prove his future is as a starter.

46. RHP Garrett Richards, Angels, 23: He could push Jerome Williams for the fifth spot in the rotation out of spring training but Richards also could be useful biding his time waiting for a starting job by giving the Angels a power arm they need in the bullpen. Richards combines a slider with his upper-90s fastball and will eventually be part of the rotation. It's just a matter of whether it's this year.

47. RHP Dylan Axelrod, White Sox, 26: He should be able to win a bullpen job out of spring training but the real opportunity for Axelrod will be determined by how Chris Sale handles his conversion from reliever to starter. Sale's increase from last year's 71 innings will be limited, leaving Axelrod as a likely alternative. Axelrod has a full repertoire of pitches but his off-speed stuff is just average. How well he develops those pitches ultimately will determine his role.

48. RHP Kelvin Herrera, Royals, 22: The Kansas City bullpen is full of young talent but the hard-throwing Herrera is among those with the best chance of eventually taking over for closer Joakim Soria. At 5-10, 190, he was converted from starting last year after two seasons of elbow problems. The result was a step-by-step rise from Class A to the majors. Good movement on his pitches means he gets plenty of ground balls beyond his 2011 strikeout rate of more than one per inning.

49. OF Bryce Harper, Nationals, 19: It's really a matter of time -- and timing. Harper, of course, is in the conversation about baseball's top prospect and he's a cornerstone of the budding powerhouse Washington is building. But what would it take for him to reach the majors before September? No deterioration of his grasp of the strike zone and ability to hit offspeed pitches. The Nationals will consider accelerating his timetable but, remember, Ken Griffey Jr. hit just .264 as a teenager in the majors.

50. RHP Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners, 30: He couldn't reach a contract last year after Oakland won posting rights and this year he arrives as a free agent. In the meantime, he dealt with some shoulder issues that reduced his fastball to the 90 mph range. But he uses the fastball to make an exceptional forkball more effective. He should be a solid ground-ball pitcher in a ballpark that will be forgiving if and when major league hitters zone in on the fastball.

51. OF Ezequiel Carrera, Indians, 24: The uncertain future of oft-injured Grady Sizemore makes Carrera important to Cleveland's plans. He's a contact hitter with good speed and a solid center fielder. Carrera should make the team at least as the fourth outfielder but, if Sizemore is ineffective or unavailable, the Indians will have to decide between playing Carrera in center or moving Michael Brantley there and finding a more powerful option in left field.

52. IF Logan Forsythe, Padres, 25: His strong defense and ability to play third and second bases should be enough to get him on the opening day roster. But the Padres must decide if a steady diet of Class AAA pitching would be better for improving his offense. He's a spray hitter with a good eye (.414 on-base percentage over his four minor league seasons). He's a year away from a full shot at a regular job.

53. OF Norichika Aoki, Brewers, 30: Signing a two-year contract all but ensures the three-time batting champion in Japan is at least Milwaukee's fourth outfielder. And he would get a quick and extended opportunity to increase his role if Ryan Braun is suspended at the start of the season. Aoki is a strong defender and had an on-base percentage over .400 four of the past five seasons. He's a line-drive hitter but less of a slashing swinger than Ichiro Suzuki.

54. LHP Josh Spence, Padres, 24: The Australian-born lefty debuted in the majors barely more than a year after being drafted out of Arizona State. He doesn't hit 90 mph but allowed less than a hit every two innings after his call-up. If he can improve on the walk rate that doubled from his minor league rate, Spence should join Joe Thatcher as the lefties in the San Diego bullpen.

55. LHP Wei-Yin Chen, Orioles, 26: He's younger and throws harder (92-94 mph) than most pitchers coming out of the Japanese leagues. Plus, he has a sharp slider that should be effective. After Jeremy Guthrie, the Baltimore rotation is wide open. Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada should have an edge over the Orioles' collection of promising young pitchers, most of whom struggled last year.

56. RHP Chris Schwinden, Mets, 25: He got to the major leagues last season because he has more experience than the other top pitching prospects in the system. That's also the reason he's first in line to fill a rotation opening this season, whether it's Johan Santana not being completely back from surgery or an injury to someone else. Schwinden isn't overpowering but has good control of his offspeed pitches. He could be a spot starter or long reliever this year.

57. RHP Randall Delgado, Braves, 21: Delgado is ready to pitch in the majors. He proved it last year with a 1.80 ERA over his final four starts in the midst of a playoff race. He'll start at Class AAA unless a opening occurs -- a Jair Jurrjens trade? -- in the Atlanta rotation. Even then, considering the depth of Braves pitching prospects, it's not certain he'll get the call. He can be overpowering but is still learning the finer points of command in and around the edges of the strike zone.

58. RHP Graham Godfrey, Athletics, 27: Godfrey quietly and effectively moved up through the Oakland system for four seasons after coming from Toronto in a trade for Marco Scutaro. He's solid but not overpowering and has a four-pitch repertoire. A starter in the minors, Godfrey's best outing in his five-game big-league debut last year was four shutout relief innings against Texas. He could be a spot starter and swing man for the A's this year, especially if they keep heralded prospects in the minors to get more innings.

59. OF Caleb Gindl, Brewers, 23: He's the prototypical undersized (5-9) guy who has to force his way into scouts' good graces. That's what he keeps doing, succeeding at Class AAA as a 22-year-old -- collecting walks, putting the ball in play and showing reasonable pop. Perhaps nobody will benefit more if Ryan Braun misses the first 50 games, though the team's two-year commitment to Nori Aoki (No. 53) will give the Japanese signing first shot.

60. RHP Dellin Betances, Yankees, 23: Adding Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda to the rotation will reduce the clamor for this 6-8 New York City native. He can spend much of the season at Class AAA building up innings and honing the control of his fastball and above-average curve. He's older and more physically imposing than fellow Yankees mega-prospect Manny Banuelos, so Betances is the one more likely to get a chance to plug a hole in the rotation sometime this year.

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